Instant Father

by Lucy Gordon

  He found that he was more tired than he’d expected. He showered, then lay down, meaning only to close his eyes for a few moments. But when he awoke five hours had passed and the sun was high in the sky.

  He hurried downstairs and began to look for Norah. At last he heard the sound of her voice and followed it until he located the source behind a door that was slightly open. As he approached he could hear her saying, “I was pretty certain, but I wanted to be sure… Thank you, you’ve eased my mind… No, I don’t think it would be good for the poor child to be snatched away like a piece of recovered property… It’s nice to know I can prevent it… Don’t worry, I can take care of Gavin Hunter. Bye.” There was the sound of a receiver being replaced.

  Gavin’s mouth tightened. So that was her game. He’d actually tried to be nice to her, respecting her grief. And her reply was to kick him in the teeth. Right!

  He pushed open the door and stood looking at her without speaking. She was sitting in a large office whose clutter filled his orderly soul with dismay. How did these people ever get anything done? She looked up and started slightly at the sight of him.

  “I’ll save time by admitting I heard the last part of your conversation,” Gavin said grimly. “Let me make it clear that nothing you can do can keep me from my son. And if you really think you can ‘take care of’ me you’ve made a big mistake. Older and wiser heads than yours have made the same mistake, and regretted it.”

  “I’m sure you’re very fearsome and terrible,” she agreed, but without seeming overawed. “Peter certainly seemed to think so. Don’t you realize that he heard what you said about removing him from me? He heard you shouting it in anger and it upset him almost as much as what happened last night.”

  “Nonsense. He’s my son.”

  “Technically, but Tony was a father to him these past few years and he’s forgotten any other home but this. If he wanted to go with you it would be different, but he doesn’t, and so I won’t allow it.”

  He almost smiled. “You won’t allow it? You think you can tell me what you will and won’t allow, when the issue is my son?”

  “Yes, of course, he’s yours, isn’t he?” Norah said, a scathing note creeping into her voice. “Your property. I was forgetting. All right, let’s fight this battle your way.” She rose to confront him, and he had an odd sensation that she’d removed the gloves. “There can be more than one claimant to a piece of property.”

  “Not this one,” Gavin said firmly.

  “I’ve just been talking to Angus Philbeam, our lawyer. I wanted to check a point in Liz’s will. Angus is a very thorough man. When he drew it up, he made Liz consider every possibility-even this one. Liz left the guardianship of Peter to Tony, and after him-me.”

  Gavin was silent for a split second before exploding, “You must be out of your mind!”

  “You can visit Angus and see the will-”

  “To hell with the will! No power on earth could give Liz the right to will my son’s guardianship away from me. He’s mine.”

  Norah regarded him bitterly. “I’m beginning to understand why Liz always referred to you as Hunter,” she said. “Not Gavin, but just ‘Hunter.’ She said you were so predatory that the name suited you perfectly.”

  “It makes a change from ‘grating Gavin,’” he snapped.

  “But she was right. You are predatory. Everything is prey to you-something to be fought for and snatched. And you win because you scare people. But I’m not scared. For one thing, even you wouldn’t be inhuman enough to try to drag that child away today.”

  “I never said I was going to-”

  “And for another you’ll have to go through the courts to get Peter back, and I think they’ll pay attention to that will. They’ll pay even more attention to the fact that this is Peter’s home, where he’s been happy. He’s just lost two parents-”

  “One parent.”

  “And I don’t think they’ll let him be taken away from me by a father he hardly knows any more.” The phone rang and she answered it quickly. She barely said a word, but whatever she heard seemed to please her because her face brightened. Finally she said, “I’ll tell him at once. Thank you very much.” She hung up and faced Gavin. “That was the Social Services. Angus has been on to them. They’ll be sending someone to see you.”

  “Need I ask what this ‘someone’ is going to say? You seem confident that you have it all stitched up.”

  “They’ll oppose any attempt to remove Peter from me so soon after the accident. He needs security, not another big change straight on top of the last one.”

  “And what kind of security can you offer him?”

  “Love, and the stability of the home he’s used to.”

  Gavin gritted his teeth. He hadn’t meant to play rough, but she’d left him no choice. “But you’re going to be leaving here. See what Social Services says when I tell them that.”

  “Leaving here? Why should I?”

  “Look, I realize that your father was still a young man and you couldn’t have dreamed that he’d die so soon.”

  “What does that have to do with what we’re talking about?”

  “It means that you have no right to stay in this house.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it belonged to Liz-half of it. The other half is still mine. Liz’s half will become Peter’s and I-”

  “Wait,” she stopped him. “Liz didn’t own any part of Strand House.”

  “I happen to know better. I bought this place originally and put it in our joint names, and the court awarded her half in the divorce settlement.”

  “Yes, I know all about that. What I’m saying is that Liz’s share became Dad’s some years ago, and he left it to me.”

  “What? That’s impossible.”

  “It was to protect the sanctuary. He wanted to be sure that if anything happened to him I could carry on here.”

  “I don’t believe what I’m hearing,” he exploded.

  But he did believe it. It had an awful inevitability. He’d always known that Tony Ackroyd had been a sponger who’d battened on Liz for her property. Now he discovered that he’d been a mercilessly efficient sponger. “You really do have this neatly arranged, don’t you?” he said, breathing hard.

  “I know you can’t evict me, and for the moment you can’t take Peter away from me. If you love your son, you won’t even try to.”

  “Don’t lecture me about loving my son,” Gavin said dangerously.

  “You frighten him-”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “I imagine anything’s impossible to you, if it doesn’t suit you. But Peter doesn’t know you any more. Can’t you understand that?”

  “Yes, I’m beginning to. In fact I’m beginning to understand a good many things. You’ve turned his mind away from me, haven’t you, and you think I can’t take it back.”

  “You’re right-I don’t think you can take it back. You might win it back, but that’s not your way, is it, Hunter? Your way is smash and grab, and it won’t work this time.”

  “Oh, I have more weapons in my armory than you think. I can be patient and subtle when I have to be. You may be able to stop me removing Peter, but you can’t keep me away from him. I have as much right to live in this house as you do, and that’s what I mean to do.”

  “Live here? You mean to move in?” she echoed, dismayed.

  “I’ve already moved in. So I’ll be on hand to make sure my son isn’t turned against me any more.”

  “But that’s-” she sought for the word.

  “Impossible?”

  “Impractical. How can we live under the same roof?”

  “It won’t be for long,” Gavin said. “Just as long as it takes you to realize that you can’t defeat me. In the meantime, we’ll just have to learn to endure each other.”

  Chapter Three

  Mrs. Selena Bolden, a social worker, came the same day. She was middle-aged and hearty, with an uncomfortable likeness to a headmistress. As
soon as she began to speak, Gavin’s heart sank. Mrs. Bolden had known Liz and Tony well, liked them and had moreover been fed the story of how Gavin had tried to “kidnap” Peter six years ago.

  “It would be most unfortunate if there were any similar, er, incident,” she observed, looking at him closely.

  Gavin controlled his temper and said calmly, “All I want to do is get to know my son again, so I’m going to live right here in my own house. At least you can’t prevent me from doing that.”

  “Actually, I can,” she said smugly. “I can apply for a court order preventing you from setting foot on these premises, and I could have one by this afternoon.”

  “What? My own house? Are you mad?”

  “Whoever’s house it is, the court would place the interests of the child first. Your previous attempt at kidnapping would be taken into account-”

  “I keep telling you I did not try to kidnap my son-”

  “Naturally you would say that, but the attempt is on the official record.”

  For the first time Gavin knew real fear. Everything he’d been so certain of was slipping away from him with terrible inevitability. Whatever the rights of the situation, it seemed that Norah Ackroyd had the power on her side, and he had no doubt she would use that power to thwart him.

  But then, unbelievably, he heard her say, “Actually, Selena, I think Mr. Hunter is telling the truth.” Gavin stared at her as she went on, “I saw what happened, and I don’t think he would have really snatched Peter. Liz was hysterical and upset, and I believe she read too much into it.”

  Mrs. Bolden looked skeptical. “According to the official record,” she said, like someone quoting the bible, “the little boy confirmed it.”

  “He confirmed that his father asked him to go with him, yes,” Norah agreed. “But later he told me that Mr. Hunter had abandoned the idea when Peter made it clear he wanted to be with his mother. I tried to tell Liz, but she insisted I’d misunderstood. I know that I didn’t.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want me to get a court order?” Mrs. Bolden demanded, sounding disappointed.

  “That’s right. I don’t. As you say, Peter’s interests must come first, and right now none of us knows what’s best for him. As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Hunter can stay here. I’ll guarantee his behavior.”

  “Very well. I’ll take your word for the moment.” She eyed Gavin disapprovingly. “But no attempt must be made to remove Peter. Do I have your word on that?”

  “Certainly,” he said grimly.

  Norah showed her out while Gavin tried to force himself to calm down. On the one hand he was possessed by sheer speechless outrage at Norah’s impertinence at guaranteeing his behavior. But he knew that he owed everything to her generous intervention. In fact he owed her his total gratitude, and that was almost the worst thing of all.

  When she returned he said with difficulty, “Thank you for speaking up for me. It wasn’t what I expected.”

  “I never believed that kidnap story. You had ample chance to make off with Peter, but you didn’t.”

  “But you could have had me thrown out of the house,” he said bewildered. “Why pass up your advantage?”

  He came from a world where only a fool let an opportunity slip, and this woman wasn’t a fool. That was clear from the shrewd intelligence in her eyes as they surveyed him, their gleam showing that she fully understood his mystification.

  “Maybe I was wrong to pass it up,” she said. “We’ll just have to see how things work out.”

  “I gave my word and I’ll keep it. All I want is to rebuild my relationship with Peter.”

  “Well, I’ve given you the chance to do that,” she pointed out.

  “But I wish you’d tell me-why did you do it?”

  “Because getting to know you again might be the best thing for him.”

  “I know that’s what you told that woman but-”

  She sighed. “Look, Hunter, the reason I gave was the true reason. I suppose in your sphere that’s unheard of.”

  “Pretty well,” he admitted.

  “Well, welcome back to the real world.”

  “Real world? You call this-this Norah’s Ark-the real world?”

  “It’s a sight more real than a businessman’s fantasyland, where only figures on paper matter and the people they represent are treated as irrelevancies-or even nuisances.”

  Gavin took a deep breath. “I don’t want to quarrel with you. You did me a favor, and I’m grateful. As you say, I have to get to know my son again, so if you don’t mind I’m going to start now. Where is he?”

  “Outside with the animals.”

  Gavin strode out of the house and through the grounds, confused by the profusion of large wire pens. He came across a woman mashing up feed. She was about sixty, very fat and puffing. Her grey hair was cut short and on her feet she wore a pair of ancient men’s shoes. She eyed Gavin with a caution that revealed she’d been warned about him, but her manner was reasonably friendly. “I’m Iris,” she told him. “I help Norah out with the animals.”

  He introduced himself politely and said, “I’m looking for Peter.”

  “He was here a moment ago, but he went off to do something else. Try down that path.”

  He followed her directions. As he pushed through a clump of hedges he could hear the sea in the distance, but there was no sign of Peter, just a young man in torn jeans and shirt, with his long hair held in a ponytail. He peered at Gavin from within a huge bird cage. A tall tree dominated the center of the cage and the young man was nearly at the top, making some repair, hanging by his knees like a trapeze artist. “Help you?” he called.

  “Have you seen a boy of about ten?” Gavin called back.

  “He came through here a while back, but he didn’t stop. He was running to somewhere.”

  Gavin thanked him and went on. Another few yards brought him to the perimeter fence. He turned left and began to make his way back until he came to a large wire pen with a wooden hut at the rear. There was no sign of whichever animal lived here, but a scuffling inside the hut told him that there was an occupant. He was about to pass on when he heard more scuffling, followed by a soft, urgent, “Ssshh!”

  He froze as the truth hit him. His son was hiding in that hut. But not from him, surely? Not from his own father?

  “Peter,” he called. “Peter.”

  He listened. There wasn’t another sound, but despite the silence he knew Peter was in there. And now he had to face it. Peter was avoiding him. Tight-lipped, he stormed back to the house. “What in God’s name have you told my son to make him run away from me?” he demanded when he found Norah.

  “Nothing. You did it all yourself. I told you, he heard what you said about taking him away. You’ve got to reassure him about that before you can get anywhere.”

  “I was trying to reassure him. I wanted to tell him what we’ve agreed, that I’m staying here with him for a while.”

  “Well, he doesn’t know that. He saw you barking at me, and that’s the picture in his mind.”

  “I was angry because of Liz, because her death seems so senseless.”

  “I know.” Norah looked at him with sudden sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize.”

  “Realize what?”

  “That you still loved her,” Norah said simply.

  He stared at her, astounded. “Nonsense!”

  “Is it? You were talking like someone who still felt awfully protective.”

  “Liz had that effect on people,” he said awkwardly.

  “I know.” Norah gave a reflective half smile. “Dad was protective about her. So was I, in a way. She was so lovely and charming. It was wonderful having her as a mother. I hardly remember my real mother. I can’t imagine anyone who’d ever loved Liz actually being able to stop.”

  “I stopped,” he said firmly. “She betrayed me.”

  “And you turned your love off, just like that?” she asked skeptically.

  He look
ed at her with hard eyes. “Is it any business of yours?”

  “Not mine, but-it could be Peter’s business. It might help him to know you still feel something for his mother.”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t. Liz lost all power to hurt me on the day she walked out. And I don’t see that it could make any difference to Peter one way or the other.”

  “I was thinking of the funeral.”

  “He won’t be going to the funeral. It’s no place for a child.”

  “That’s for him to say. Of course I won’t force him if he doesn’t want to, but if he does want to it would be terribly cruel to keep him away.”

  “He’s a child,” Gavin said, aghast. “How can you even think of taking him into that grim atmosphere, letting him look at graves and coffins and-and people in black?”

  “Gavin, it isn’t funerals that are grim. It’s death. And Peter is already facing death twice over. How he copes with it will depend on what happens now. People need the chance to say goodbye. If you deprive him of that chance, he’ll feel it all his life.”

  He set his jaw. “I don’t see it that way at all.”

  “Well, we’ll let him decide.”

  There was a shadow in the doorway, and they both turned to see Peter standing there. He flinched when he saw his father and for a dreadful moment Gavin feared he would run away again, but Peter held his ground and looked at him silently. He looked strained and wretched, and Gavin’s heart ached at the thought of what the child had to bear. “Why don’t we go somewhere and talk?” he asked, as gently as he could.

  Peter didn’t react at once. First he glanced at Norah for her agreement, and when she smiled he nodded at his father. Gavin’s lips tightened. Could he have no communication with his own son except with her consent? But he held his tongue and left the room with Peter.

  Once outside, father and son looked at each other awkwardly. “Why don’t you show me your room?” Gavin said at last.

  Obediently Peter turned and went upstairs, Gavin following. He had a large room with a view over the sanctuary. The walls were lined with pictures of birds and animals and charts showing creatures of the world. Gavin looked around him with displeasure. This wasn’t what he thought of as a boy’s room. Where were the football colors, the sports trophies?